The Sunflower's Secret
by kin-kay2911
Summary: Himawari has a secret (or two) and Boruto and Sarada are determined to find out what she's keeping from them. - InojinXHimawari Fluff -


**The Sunflower's Secret**

* * *

"I _always_ eat too much at Old Man Teuchi's," the girl groaned, rubbing a hand over her stomach and sticking it out in an exaggerated display. "My eyes are always so much bigger than my stomach." Sarada and Mitsuki laughed aloud.

"You're just like dad," Boruto half-heartedly berated.

Himawari tossed a heavy braid over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at her elder brother, eliciting another round of chuckles from his teammates. She linked arms with Sarada at the elbow, admiring the older girl's Chunin vest. Hima was nearing fifteen now, but years of growing up as the baby amongst a dozen close-knit kids had turned the youngest Uzumaki child into Konoha's darling. It didn't hurt that she'd inherited her mother's figure and her father's eyes. Much to Naruto and Bolt's grievance, especially where boys were concerned, Himawari loved the attention. Sarada and Mitsuki were almost always willing to play with her and let her tag along on their days off when she was younger, often to Boruto's feigned irritation. No matter how annoyed he acted, however, the blonde boy adored his little sister immensely. As years passed, Himawari developed friendships with some of the others in her own right, growing especially close with the Uchiha girl.

Sarada adjusted her glasses, her mouth downturned and her eyes rolling as she fell into stride with her younger friend. "You're no bettter, Boruto," she chided her teammate. "Hima-chan nearly matched you bowl-for-bowl."

Bolt replied with something snarky and Himawari fell into a content trance, paying little attention to her friends as they walked, finding comfort in the sound of their voices and the bustling city around them. Aside from a few majorly notable incidents (the Otsutsuki attack during the Chunin Exams five years prior being the most destructive), the world had seen a prolonged period of peace since the Fourth Shinobi War. Plenty of kids still attended the academy, but there were fewer and fewer applicants for the ninja arts each year. Of course there were still still some who studied jutsu, but civilian studies were growing in popularity. The academic transition from shinobi nations to peaceful nations was one of the most immediate and drastic changes following the war. Most people didn't see the point in becoming a shinobi anymore, not with men like Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha in the world.

Himawari didn't quite see it that way, though. The attack on the Chunin Exams had nearly lost the Uzumaki children their father and mother - neither of them were fooled by the peace or the international cooperation. Even the most powerful men in the world were mortal. One day they would die, and then who would protect the world when rogue villains appeared on the scene? Himawari knew that Sarada was well on her way to following in her own father's footsteps while Boruto trained under Sasuke every chance he got. The infamous Uchiha didn't come home very frequently, but when he did Himawari would go for days without seeing Sarada or her brother.

That was okay, though, because she had other people to spend time with. She had her own Genin team, of course, but the girl much preferred to spend her free time with the older shinobi. She found they were more dedicated to their studies - they took being ninja more seriously than her own classmates. Even her jonin leader Udon, while an extremely capable ninja, didn't seem so concerned with actually practicing techniques; he much preferred calculating stats and running numbers and analyzing scenarios to actually enacting them.

Himawari's education at the academy consisted of a good blend of civilian and ninja studies, but as the daughter of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga, Himawari had always known her true calling. The girl fingered the hitai-ate around her neck. She was the daughter of the Seventh Hokage: she knew what it meant to be a ninja and she took the title very seriously. In the absence of willing teammates, Himawari had sought out her own teachers, finding more than a few willing participants and forming special bonds with many of her parents' and her brother's comrades: she spent lazy afternoons with Kiba and Tamaki, learning about ninja pets; she'd join Rock and Metal Lee in their training, running laps around the village on her hands from sunup to sundown much to her father's chagrin; and Team Konohamaru even let her in on their sparring matches from time to time. But her favorite days involved either sparring with her mother, learning the techniques of the Hyuuga clan and flexing her Byakugan, or studying with TenTen at her weapons shop. The business had suffered significantly since the end of the war, but Himawari found every senbon, every scroll, every shuriken immensely fascinating. She'd been developing her own weapon, in a way, and was chomping at the bit to show TenTen her first prototype. But she had a very important stop to make first.

Himawari slipped her arm from Sarada's, spinning out of her grip theatrically, quick on her toes from all the training with her mother. "Well, it's been a blast, gang," she called, rocking on her toes with her hands clasped behind her back, "but I gotta split."

"Where are you going, Hima-chan?" the Uchiha girl asked, one eyebrow lifting towards her hairline.

A shy smile spread across Himawari's whiskered cheeks as her eyes flitted sideways down a side street then back to her toes. Although she was much more extroverted than Hinata in her younger years, the girl had inherited a few of her mother's shy tendencies. "I... I gotta couple errands to run, that's all. I want to stop by TenTen-sensei's shop to show her something I've been working on. I want to use it in the upcoming Chunin Exams."

Mitsuki tilted his head and smiled, the grin forcing his eyes closed. "That's right. You're participating in the preliminaries next month, right, Hima?" The girl nodded, still rocking on her toes. "If you're working with TenTen-san you must be developing a new weapon, right?" Another nod.

The girl's older brother crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing in sudden suspicion. "A new weapon, huh? You haven't said anything to _me_ about it."

"Well," the girl looked at her feet, "it's not done, yet."

"Can we see it?"

"Yeah, Hima-chan! Show us what you've got!"

Himawari shook her head, her heavy braids twitching from side to side. "I told you, it's not done yet. I don't want to show anyone until it's ready, and it still needs something..." The young girl threw another sidelong glance down the street to her right.

Sarada's keen eyes didn't miss the nervous glance, her own gaze following Himawari's. The Uchiha girl scanned the road and shops for whatever her friend kept looking at. Finally, her eyes landed on a brightly-colored sign hanging above one of the shop windows and sudden understanding washed over her sharp features. The girl pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, trying and failing to hide the knowing smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. She turned away, shrugging. "Whatever you say, Hima. We'll see you later!" She began to walk away, throwing a wave over her shoulder without looking.

Himawari took a few steps backwards, sidestepping civilians in the crowded street. "See you later!" she confirmed, waving shyly to her brother and Mitsuki.

The white-haired boy waved back but her older brother still looked skeptical. "Hima, you better not be up to anything."

"I'm not!" she called over the noise of the crowd as it began to swallow her. The girl turned and began hurriedly down the side street she'd been eyeing. She turned and cupped a hand over her mouth. "I'll come find you as soon as it's ready, Big Brother. You'll be the first to see, I promise!"

Boruto huffed, standing on his tiptoes to try and track his sister's movement. "You better!" He saw her delicate hand lift up over the mass of heads in acknowledgement before it disappeared into the crowd and she was gone. The blonde boy shook his head at his sister's antics. "She's definitely up to something, don't you think, Sarada? Huh?" Boruto finally turned around only to find that his teammates had also disappeared into the dense crowd. He stood on tiptoe again, trying to spot them and finally locating a mass of black hair and a flash of red fabric in the distance. The boy took a leap, calling the girl's name, but she didn't turn around. "Sarada-chan, hey! Wait up, you -"

Whatever insult Boruto had planned fell from his lips as his flight was interrupted mid-leap. He felt a heavy pressure around his abdomen and a hand over his mouth. Before he knew it he was pressed against a wall in a dark alley, the girl he thought he'd been following holding him tight against the brick. His bright, cerulean eyes grew wide, first with shock and then with irritation. Sarada's onyx eyes flashed with pride, her father's contemptuous smirk pulling at her lips. Mitsuki landed with a flutter of fabric before either Bolt or Sarada had time to register the intimacy of their position.

The girl released her hold on her teammate, allowing Bolt to let loose the curse words he'd been holding in. "Holy hell, Sarada! What the fuck was that for? You can't just sideswipe me out of nowhere like that!"

The Uchiha girl put her hands on her hips. "You let your guard down, Boruto. Better look out next time, especially if you plan on being my guard. How do you expect to protect me if you can't even protect yourself? Tsh." The girl cocked a hip. "You're lucky it was me," she said, pointing two fingers at him, "otherwise you could be dead." The girl flicked him in the forehead.

Boruto rubbed his brow, massaging the place her fingers poked him. "She's right, you know," Mitsuki chimed in.

"Shut up," the blonde boy grumbled under his breath.

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we have a mission," she announced.

The Uzumaki boy's eyes lit up. "Really? From the old man? What is it?" They hadn't had a real mission in months. All the D-rank missions went to whatever flimsy supply of genin the academy was still pumping out and any A or B-rank missions went to whatever jonin hadn't yet retired. Chunin were low on the good chain as far as mission priority went and Boruto was more than a little salty about it. So salty, in fact, that it had become a regular argument with his father at the dinner table until his mother had to ban any conversation regarding future assignments. The rule returned some civility to their evening meals, but Naruto didn't miss his son's withering glares or their meaning. The possibility of a mission, any mission, was an exciting prospect. Hell, he'd even chase down Old Lady Karuha's cat at this point.

Sarada shook her head, her own irritation at the lack of mission work showing clearly on her features before being replaced with a mischievous smile. "Not from Lord Seventh, unfortunately. This is more of a... personal mission if you will." The girl crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall opposite Boruto, mirroring his stance. "Hima-chan was acting a little weird today, don't you think?"

Boruto scuffed the ground with the toe of his sandal, disappointed that it wasn't a real mission. "I mean, I guess. But Hima's always kinda weird." He really didn't see what his sister had to do with a mission.

"Be that as it may, she was acting particularly odd back there, and I think I know why."

"She's just being secretive because she doesn't want us to know about the weapon she's working on yet," Boruto insisted.

"Maaaaybe," the girl sang. A wicked smile pulled at her lips. "But I think Hima-chan is hiding more than one secret from us, and I intend to find out what it is."

The though perked Boruto's attention. "What kind of secret?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sarada sang, feigning innocence. "But I have a hunch he's got long, blonde hair and a knack for flower arrangements." The suggestion raised a tick in Boruto's forehead. Sarada snickered.

"If Himawari-chan is keeping secrets, shouldn't we let them stay secrets?" Mitsuki insisted. "It feels kind of weird to sneak around behind her back like that."

The Uchiha girl sighed exasperatedly. "Look, you know and I know we haven't had a mission in months. I don't know about you two, but I'm gettting restless. Hima is keeping secrets; this is our chance to perform a little recon. We're out of practice and out of good opportunities to sharpen our skills. We track her, see what she's up to, get in a little practice, and if we do it right she never has to know." She looked expectantly at her teammates, eyebrows raised over the frame of her glasses as she waited for a response.

Mitsuki shook his head. "I'm out of this one. I want a mission as much as anyone, but I can't justify using Himawari as our target just for fun."

Sarada shrugged. "Fine. Bolt?" She turned to her blonde teammate.

The Uzumaki boy kicked at the dirt again. As much as he didn't like the idea of following Himawari around, he had to admit he didn't like that his sister was keeping secrets, especially if that secret was, as Sarada suggested, one third of the InoShikaCho trio. Then again, she never kept anything from him for long. Whatever it really was, the girl was sure to tell him eventually. So... what would it hurt if he found out a little prematurely? Plus, if something was going on between his sister and Inojin, it was his duty as a protective big brother to scope it out. And he really was itching for a mission, no matter the moral ambiguity. He's be able to justify it to himself more fully later. He looked into Sarada's onyx eyes and nodded. "I'm in."

The wicked smile returned to Sarada's face. The expression both terrified and excited him. "Perfect." His female teammate turned to Mitsuki. "You sure you're out?"

"Absolutely. You two have fun. And don't get caught - I'd hate to end up on the receiving end of Himawari-chan's gentle fist."

Boruto absently rubbed his abdomen. It ached with the distant pang of an old hit, the hurt just enough to twist his gut with a hint of guilt but not strong enough to overpower the prospect of a mission. "Suit yourself," Sarada shrugged. She motioned to her whiskered teammate and leapt from the alley with Boruto in tow, headed back towards where Himawari had disappeared into the afternoon crowd.

The overwhelming scent of a thousand blooms assaulted Himawari's senses as she entered the shop. A small bell chimed overhead, signaling her entrance. A busty blonde appeared as the young girl approached the counter, a pink apron draped around her neck, the collar of her purple shirt just peaking out over the top. "Himawari-chan!" the woman exclaimed, wiping her hands on her apron and clapping them together to rid them of excess dirt. "So lovely to see you!"

"Hello, Ino-san," the dark haired girl smiled, bowing politely in greeting.

Ino placed her elbows on the counter and leaned forward, her chin in her upturned palms. "What can I do for you today? More sunflowers?"

"Yes and no, Ino-san. I will need some - Mother and I are going to visit Uncle later. But... ano... I was actually wondering..." The girl trailed off, her voice getting lost as a third presence entered the main shop through a curtain in the back corner.

"All finished in the back garden for today, Mom," the boy announced, wiping his hands on his own pink apron and clapping them together just as his mother had done. "The lavender stalks and tiger lilies are coming along quite nicely." His green-eyed gaze caught then, finally noticing the shop patron. A genuine smile spread across Inojin's face. "Whiskers! Is it Saturday already? I usually have your sunflowers ready but I guess I lost track of time."

Himawari rocked on her toes and tugged nervously at the loose locks of hair at the end of her braid. "Hello, Inojin-kun," she responded shyly. Ino looked between the two and smiled as a faint blush grew in the Uzumaki girl's cheeks. Himawari definitely reminded her of a young Hinata. She'd been coming to Yamanaka Flowers every Saturday for as long as Ino could remember, first with her mother, then by herself. Ino had watched with growing amusement as Himawari's visits grew longer and her ability to meet Inojin's eyes grew shorter.

The blonde woman stood straight then, clapping her hands together once. "Inojin, why don't you take care of Miss Uzumaki, here? I'm gonna take a break. My son will take good care of you." Ino winked in Himawari's direction, causing the girl's cheeks to deepen another startled shade of red before she disappeared behind the curtain with a quiet chuckle.

The teen boy walked out from behind the counter, leaning against the glass panel in front of Himawari. He leaned in close, his face nearing hers. "Are you ou feeling okay there, Whiskers?" he asked, reaching out a hand and placing it to her forehead. "You feel a little warm, and you're red as a tomato."

Himawari's cerulean eyes grew wide and she willed herself not to fall over right then and there. Like the rest of Boruto's classmates, Himawari knew the InoShikaCho trio, at least in passing. While Shikadai and ChouChou were fun in their own right, Inojin had a particular hold on Himawari from the very beginning. Even as a small child she'd interacted with him, seeing him whenever her mother brought her to get flowers for Neji's grave. While Hinata and Ino discussed their lives, Inojin would entertain her curious inquiries, never taking her less seriously despite the minor age gap. He patiently answered all her questions about the flowers and the beautiful drawings hanging around the shop. Sometimes the blonde boy would even braid her daisy chains or pin flowers in her hair.

After years of this, Himawari's fascination with Inojin blossomed into something a little more than friendly. As they both matured so did their conversations: they discussed their training and their families and their missions, when there was one to speak of. Eventually the girl offered to go to the shop without her mother, finding excuses to spend extended periods of time with Inojin when he was there and not off training or whatever else. Himawari knew the Yamanaka boy's favorite food, his drink order from the tea shop down the way, and what annoyed him most about each of his teammates. She knew the way he tied his hair back before putting together a flower arrangement, even if it was already tied. And she knew that just looking at him gave her a round of butterflies that nearly gagged her silent as they threatened to fly up through her throat.

Himawari cleared her throat once, forcing the butterflies back to whence they came, and tried to laugh it off. "I'm fine, it's just a little warm outside today, that's all."

"I was just outside. It wasn't that warm."

The girl panicked, searching for a way to quickly derail the conversation. "Maybe not in the garden, but the streets are packed. Everyone is out today. It's much hotter in a crowd, you know." Inojin looked unconvinced, but the girl barreled on before he could interrupt her and poke more holes in her explanation. "Anyway, I was actually coming here to ask you a favor."

The boy raised one eyebrow. "A favor?" Himawari nodded. "What kind o-"

The bell signaling a new arrival twinkled overhead. Inojin and Himawari both turned their heads. A middle-aged couple entered the shop, each taking a deep breath, inhaling the heavenly scent. The woman immediately released her husband and placed her nose up to a branch of honey suckle. "Mmmm..." she hummed. "Delightful. Don't you think Emi would just love these, dear?"

"Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers!" Inojin greeted in true salesman style. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

The woman smiled kindly back at him and waved her hand. "Oh no, young man, that's quite alright. We're looking to put a bouquet together for our daughter - it's her birthday. But I think we can find our way around."

The blonde boy smiled and nodded at them. "If you need any suggestions or have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask."

"We won't, will we, dear?" she asked her husband, batting her eyelashes at him. The man was staring at the teenage couple, completely ignoring his wife. "I said, won't we dear," the woman repeated, a bit gruffer.

A slight nudge to the rib cage got the man's attention. He shook his head as if from a daze. "Oh, uh, hmm, yes, of course, uh, honey." Himawari narrowed her eyes at the couple. There was something oddly familiar about them, but she didn't recognize their faces.

"C'mon, dear, let's look around, shall we?" The woman took her husband by the hand and pulled him a bit rougher than necessary towards the back of the store and the two disappeared behind a wall of fresh baby's breath and mustard blooms. Inojin and Himawari both watched them go.

"That was weird," the blonde boy stated once the couple was out of earshot, pointing out the obvious as he always did. Himawari nodded in agreement. "That guy was staring at you pretty intensely, Himawari-chan. Do you know him?"

The girl hummed. "He did seem kind of familiar, but no."

"Well, you are the Hokage's daughter. I bet lots of people you don't know know who you are." She nodded absently. Sure, lots of people recognized her, but there was something particularly strange about that couple...

"Hm?" Himawari's cerulean eyes grew wide as she snapped back to attention. Inojin had been speaking but she'd completely tuned him out.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're acting pretty weird, too."

The blush returned to Himawari's cheeks and she rocked on her toes but nodded fervently. "Yes, I'm fine, Inojin-kun." She flashed him a bright smile. "What were you saying?"

"I was just asking what that favor was." His mint eyes peered over her shoulder towards the back of the store where the older couple was talking in hushed whispers. He caught the eye of the gentleman who looked away too quickly, turning his back on the front of the store and occupying himself with a bundle of yellow carnations.

"Oh, yes, the favor. You see," the girl reached into the satchel slung across her shoulder, diving into the largest pocket, "I was hoping you might be able to help me put a few finishing touches on this." The girl found what she was looking for and pulled it from the satchel, holding it out for Inojin to see.

Three steps and an aisle away the couple fingered the delicate petals of several different flowers, speaking in hushed tones. "Can you see what it is?" the male asked, throwing sidelong glances Himawari's way.

His "wife" shook her head. "She's standing in front of it. We're going to have to get a closer look. Now stop acting so weird or they'll catch onto us. We're a married couple looking for flowers for our daughter - act like it."

"Yes, I think those will look lovely with the baby's breath, _honey,_ " the man said, perhaps a bit too loudly. "You have such a good eye for these things." He kissed her on the crown of her head, causing the woman to turn pink from chin to the tips of her ears.

The couple's suspicious behavior had the blonde boy on edge, but unless they posed a threat he couldn't very well fault them just for being odd. Hell, if people could be faulted for that his own parents would never be allowed in public. Plus, there was little that could fully distract the Yamanaka boy from the girl before him. Inojin looked away from the couple and into Himawari's outstretched hand and his eyes lit up. In her palm she cradled one of the most glorious sunflower heads he'd ever seen. "It's beautiful..."

He reached out to touch it but the girl pulled back, bringing it closer to her body. "Be careful. It isn't what it looks like."

"What do you... oh." Understanding dawned as the flower head caught the light, glinting the slightest bit. Upon further inspection he found that the petals were too stiff to be real. Gingerly reaching out to take a petal between his fingertips, he found not the soft flesh of sunflowers but instead the unforgiving chill of steel. The boy grinned in fascination. "Clever."

Himawari nodded. "Yes. See, I'd like to -"

"We'd like these, please." The woman from the middle-aged couple approached the counter then, several stems of flowers gripped in her hand. She placed them gingerly on the counter and began shuffling around in her purse.

"Of course, ma'am." Inojin held a finger up in Himawari's direction before rounding the counter, signaling his intention to return to their conversation momentarily. "Would you like these trimmed and arranged?"

"Oh, yes, dear, that would be wonderful," the woman replied enthusiastically. The blonde boy set to quick work, removing his ponytail then re-tying it at the base of his neck before clipping stray leaves and arranging the selection of blooms. The Uzumaki girl grinned at her friend's little quirk.

The woman turned her watery gray eyes in Himawari's direction, her gaze landing on the flower in the young girl's hands. "Oh, what a beautiful sunflower you have there!" she exclaimed. "So bright and cheery. Sunflowers are so lovely, aren't they darling?" she inquired of her husband.

"Yes, quite lovely," he agreed gruffly.

Himawari regarded the couple suspiciously but her eyes softened as she fingered the petals of the "flower", a small sense of pride welling in her as she realized the couple bought into the weapon's facade. "They're my favorite," she offered, making polite conversation.

"They happen to be my favorite, as well." The girl's eyes shot up towards the boy behind the counter, catching his sideways glance and the small wink he sent her way. The blush returned to her cheeks in full force. Himawari looked away shyly, but her smile was unmistakable. Inojin returned to his work, his fingers deftly weaving the stems together.

The woman and her husband gave the younger pair an appraising look before sharing a glance. The exchange went completely unnoticed by the bashful Uzumaki girl, but her companion didn't miss a beat. Inojin finished the arrangement, tying a small rubber string around the stems and dropping the bouquet into a clear, plastic wrapping before handing it off. "Here you are, ma'am."

The woman took the bouquet, cradling it in her embrace. A wide smile spread across her features. "Thank you so much, young man." The boy nodded and wiped his hands against his apron. "I'm sure our daughter will love these. Come along, dear." She nodded to her husband who put his hand along her back and followed her out of the store. The bell twinkled overhead, signaling their departure.

Inojin joined Himawari on the opposite side of the glass again, his gaze returning to the girl's weapon. "May I see it?" he asked. She handed over to him and the boy took it from her, his fingers brushing against during the exchange. Inojin handled it delicately, inspecting every inch. "I see... So the petals are the blades," he said, running a finger over the sharpened edge of one, "and this...," he touched the center of the flower on either side, "is the release."

"Exactly," Himawari confirmed, taking the weapon back from him.

"Quite ingenious, Hima."

"Thank you." She blushed at his praise.

"But what do you need me for?"

Deapite her bashful nature Himawari was suddenly all business. "Well, I developed it to use as a surprise weapon. See? I can wear it in my hair and no one will know it's actually blades. But in order to fool people, I need it to look as realistic as possible. I painted it myself, but there's still something not quite right about it, and I was wondering... Huh?! Inojin-kun, what are you doing?"

The blonde boy stood at Himawari's right shoulder, looking down at her clasped hands and placing his own on her lower back, causing the girl's cheeks to burn bright red. He dropped his voice low. "The couple: there _was_ something strange about them. They weren't a middle-aged married couple, and they haven't left. Don't turn around, but they've positioned themselves outside to see in through the window."

"Wha..." She turned her face to look up at the boy but found his own to be unbearably close. He smiled at her, their noses barely six inches away from touching. She gulped and tried to act natural. If she was being watched, she couldn't let the stalkers know she was on to them. "Who are they, then?"

Inojin snickered. "Two-thirds of Team Konohamaru. It seems your brother and Sarada have developed a particular interest in horticulture. That, or they're interested in our movements. I doubt they're spying on me, which begs the question: why are they spying on you, Whiskers?"

"Brother... spying on... me..." The younger Uzumaki child took a moment to process. Embarrassment and anger boiled in her veins, but she didn't let it show. Instead, a sickly-sweet smile pulled at her lips, stretching her whiskered cheeks. She tossed her head back and giggled, pulling one braid over her shoulder and twisting it around her finger. She knew Sarada's Sharingan had the ability to read lips, so she turned her head away from the window, looking at the false bloom in her hands. "Inojin-kun, it seems my big brother and my friend have followed me in hopes of finding something interesting. Shall we give them a show?"

Inojin's own smile grew wickedly mischievous, the look calling back up the herd of butterflies in Himawari's stomach. Or were they charging rhinos now? Whatever was causing the flittering in abdomens certainly felt stronger than butterflies, that was certain. "I'll be right back." He stepped away then, disappearing behind the curtain in the back corner. Himawari heard footsteps sounding up the stairs. She looked around the shop aimlessly, pretending to be interested in all the different flowers until he returned.

The boy came back quickly, a case of paints and a cup of brushes in tow. He set them on the low part of the counter used to create large arrangements and gestured for Himawari to join him. She approached the counter and Inojin stood behind her. "Place it on the counter," he instructed. She followed suit.

The blonde boy was very nearly flush against her back, especially as he leaned forward to point out the subtle but present flaws in her paint job. His chest pressed against her shoulders, his hand cradled hers as he directed her movements, dunking a small brush in white paint and showing her how to fashion the center seeds to give them more depth. Himawari followed along numbly, only half-listening to his instructions as her ears rang with an excited and nervous hum that drowned out most of his words. Despite the overwhelming scent of a thousand flowers in bloom, Himawari could smell Inojin over everything else: spring rain and sunflower oil. She inhaled his presence, only resurfacing to reality when his hand left hers and he announced, "Done."

The girl snapped to then, gazing at their combined work and gasping with delight. While her own paint job had been nothing to sneeze at, her weapon looked more realistic than ever with Inojin's assistance. "It's beautiful..." she whispered in hushed awe.

"As are you."

"Wha... huh?" Inojin's words caught Himawari off guard. She turned to look over her shoulder, trying to get a better look at the boy. When she did, he didn't back away. Their faces were impossibly close, and moving closer, closer, closer...

Bolt burst in at precisely that moment, finger pointing accusingly at the couple. "What do you think you're doing with my sister?" he shouted. Inojin's pretend shock at the interruption turned to glee as the loudmouth's arms suddenly fell limply to his side.

Himawari disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving nothing between the Yamanaka boy and the counter but air. "What the -?" Boruto tried to turn around but found himself completely immobilized. He fell to the floor with a thud. A small foot dug under his side and flipped him onto his back. The blonde tried to blink away the lights glaring in from the windows. When his vision finally cleared he saw his sister standing over him, hands on her hips and fire in her opalescent eyes. "Himawari...?"

"That'll teach you to spy on me, Big Brother."

"I... I..." he stammered, eyes flashing from Himawari to Inojin in rapid succession. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't up to anything, which you clearly were!" the boy yelled, trying to be mad but looking more like a beached fish in his useless thrashing.

"It's called acting, Brother. You should practice. You're little disguise and cover-story didn't fool us - we've known it was you for quite a while. I knew that little display would bring you out of hiding, and now I've caught you red handed."

"You mean... you... and him... you were just... acting?" Boruto groaned, unsure whether he was more relieved or ashamed. The joints where his sister hit him with her Gentle Fist ached and his legs and arms had been rendered completely useless. He'd totaled blown his cover, and all for an act.

Himawari knelt down, leaning her head very close to her brother's ear. Her voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "Next time I catch you trailing me, I won't be so nice. And you can tell Sarada-chan she's not off the hook, either. I'll get her when she least expects it." Boruto shivered. His sister could be scary when she wanted to.

"Now," she said, releasing the tenketsu points she'd locked up, "get out of here. And don't forget to deliver my message!" Boruto sent a shaky look between his sister and Inojin before racing from the store. Himawari's Byakugan disappeared and she waved the blonde boy goodbye. "See you at home, Big Brother!"

When he was completely out of sight, both Himawari and Inojin burst into a great fit of laughter. The girl clutched her stomach, wiping a stray tear away from her eye. "That was priceless. Thank you for playing along, Inojin-kun. Your performance deserves an award."

"My pleasure, Whiskers," the boy laughed, bowing theatrically and sending Himawari into another round of giggles.

"And thank you for the help with my sunflower! I did mean it - it really is beautiful."

"Sunflowers often are." He picked the weapon up and walked over to his companion, fastening the clip into her hair. He stood back to admire his work. "But you know," the boy regarded the weapon-turned-hairpiece appraisingly, "I think we forgot something."

Himawari furrowed her brow, reaching up to touch the bladed flower. "What?"

"This." Inojin took advantage of her moment of confusion and swooped in, pecking his lips briefly against hers.

Himawari's eyes widened in shock. Her fingers moved from her hair to her lips. She looked over her shoulder. "Are they still watching?"

Inojin smiled widely, his hands behind his back as he leaned forward, matching her on eye level. "Nope."

"No... oh." Understanding caught up with Himawari then, her cheeks flushing the deepest shade of red yet. "Inojin-kun..."

The boy smiled and grabbed a small bouquet of real sunflowers from the nearest rack, handing them over to the younger girl. "Here are you flowers, Hima-chan. They're on me today. The show might've been for their benefit, but I was hardly acting. I think, and I hope, the same can be said of you?" Himawari took the stems numbly, still in a small state of shock, but her bashful expression was answer enough. Inojin laughed. "Anytime you need a favor, I'll be right here," he said with a wink. Himawari's mouth fell open in surprise, unsure what to say. "I'll see you soon, Whiskers. Give my respect to Neji-san."

The girl nodded dumbly and exited the flower shop, the sound of Inojin's laughter and the store bell following behind. After a long moment, Ino stepped out from behind the curtain, wrapping her son up in a hug from behind and twirling him in a circle. "Mom!" the boy whined.

Ino stopped her spinning and gripped her son's shoulders. "My boy... and the Seventh's daughter!" The woman held a hand over her heart. "Young love is so beautiful. I told you the sunflowers would get her. Oh, if you need any advice you just come to me, okay? Your father-"

"Mom..."

"- is pretty much clueless on these things. He was beginning to think you didn't even like girls, you know, but I-"

"Mom."

"- told him I know love when I see it and I saw it between you two. Himawari is such a beauty. I mean, she was bound to be with Hinata and Naruto as her parents. I never expected Naruto to be a looker but he really grew up into something quite handsome, would you say? Oh, I just can't believe my baby-"

"Mom!"

"Hm?"

Inojin's mother finally finished her rant, stopping short and looking at her son who was still caught in her tight grip. He rolled his shoulders, knocking her hands away. "Himawari is beautiful. Dad can be an idiot. And if I need advice I promise I'll come to you first, although I doubt I'll need it, so don't hold your breath."

Ino's eye twitched as she looked at her Inojin. She shook her head, hands on her hips. "That's my son."

"What's he done now?" The bell chimed again as Sai stepped into the fragrant shop.

Ino clasped her hands together, her eyes going dreamy. "He finally made a move on Himawari!"

Sai's eyes widened the slightest bit before his awkward smile pulled at his features, tugging his eyes closed. "I'm surprised and delighted to hear that. I was beginning to think you liked dick. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"Dad!" Inojin rolled his eyes and covered his face, turning from his parents as they continued to discuss the questionability of his sexual preferences. He removed his apron, hanging it on the wall and heading upstairs to his room where a pad of paper lay open. Grabbing his inks and his brush, the blonde boy began to draw, the image appearing on the paper just as it did in his head: a dark-haired girl with whiskered cheeks and a sunflower in her hair.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey, y'all! So, whether you've been following along with my story YGA or you're new to me or whatever, I've been dealing with a lot of heavy stuff in my own writing, reading, and just in my personal life in general, so I needed something a little bright and fluffy. I've been seeing all these adorable pictures of Inojin and Himawari on Pinterest and idk why, but I just love the idea of them, so here's this totally random, fluffy one-shot for you. I don't usually write fluff so I have way less practice writing simple, cute things than I do writing analytical, dark things... Please let me know if I succeeded. haha I hope you enjoyed it! Love, Kinsey


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